Studying Voices of Middle Childhood Online: Conducting Online Video-Based Focus Groups With Children

The use of online focus groups is becoming popular as a qualitative research method and the literature available for evaluating this data collection method is useful. However, to the best of our knowledge almost no methodological information is available on synchronous, online video-based focus groups with children of 10-12 years of age. In this article we describe our experiences with a study in which we conducted a total of 13 online synchronous video-based focus groups with children of this age. Our study generated rich and useful data, however, during our research we also encountered several challenges. In this paper we discuss these challenges concerning a) the technical tools used, b) the interaction between children, and c) ethical issues. We evaluate possible solutions and in doing so, also discuss standard procedures that are used in real-life focus groups, such as the optimum number of children, the duration of the focus groups, and the relation between the moderator and the children. We conclude that, when conducting online focus groups with children, researchers need to consider several aspects beforehand such as using a platform that is well-known to the children, developing a technical step-by-step guide, and recruiting a flexible moderator that is familiar with child development. We propose a flexible framework that includes questions and offers suggestions for conducting online focus groups with children aged 10-12 years. This framework can inform researchers wanting to conduct online focus groups with children in the future.